As to the bottom half, I'd really like to see Querrey vs Nole. That should be Nole's first test.
And Gasquet is heading for Wawrinka who received a walkover from Pospisil - how nice. That's going to be tough for either. Gasquet has Robredo to deal with first though and they are stuck at 2 all so not an easy path for Gasquet by any means. Which also means a showdown between Nole and Wawrinka is pretty imminent.
I hope Ferrer meets with Janowicz and JJ gets the win this time. I'd love it.
Berdy and Anderson too are heading for each other. Anderson kept things very close for Berdych last time they met but still, Berdy is the better player and has the H2H going for him too.
herc, I seem to have forgot or didn't pay as much attention. Has Nole played all the night sessions so far? I can see he's got the night match again tonight.
I hear Andy took the last 23 points.
he seems to be improving with each match.
Yes, but he shouldn't have fallen 1-5 set point behind in the first place against a player like Millot but then again, that's your typical Murray. It's alright as long as he keeps things short for energy sake because he'll need it in this brutal condition.
I think nole is in sparkling form.
it is going to take a monumental effort to deal with him.
the guy is a machine these days.
I find both Nadal and Nole very machine like. Federer used to be a machine too but he's now more human. He is far too error prone to be a machine really. lol.
Andy has always been a human. Too human maybe sometimes with his on court temper tantrum and falling behind in important matches for no good reason.
I like them both too: milos and dimitrov. this one is hard to predict. I will take a guess and say it will be milos.
I saw about set and 1/2 of the nadal match last night. I like them both too: milos and dimitrov. this one is hard to predict. I will take a guess and say it will be milos.
I saw about set and 1/2 of the nadal match last night. nadal was not all that sharp. I counted at least 10 forehand errors alone and they were easy forehands under zero pressure.
I don't what the hell he has been doing but he has to put in longer hours on the practice courts pronto.
that is forehand errors with easy/sitting forehands.
here is the order of play for today:
http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/scores/schedule/index.html
. I counted at least 10 forehand errors alone and they were easy forehands under zero pressure.
I don't what the hell he has been doing but he has to put in longer hours on the practice courts pronto.
that is forehand errors with easy/sitting forehands.
here is the order of play for today:
http://www.ausopen.com/en_AU/scores/schedule/index.html
I thought Nadal played fine. Not super sharp, but that's always best, IMO. Plus he was playing an Australian hopeful. He did just enough to save energy for the later rounds.
The good thing about Nadal is that he plays better as the tournament progresses as opposed to coming out all guns blazing and fizzling out in the end.
good point lady TT.
I know my own situation on the court when I used to play and compete: you sometimes tend to play as well as you need to and also in accordance with how your opponent is playing.
you are more motivated against more talented players and you tend to play better.
and in this case there is that matter of energy and health conservation also. nadal or anybody else cant really afford an injury or too much expenditure of physical and mental capital this early on in a slam.
key matches for today:
KEY MATCHES - FRIDAY, 17 JANUARY 2014
Singles - Third Round
Denis Istomin (UZB) vs. [2] Novak Djokovic (SRB)
Jeremy Chardy (FRA)[29] vs. [3] David Ferrer (ESP)
[7] Tomas Berdych (CZE) vs. Damir Dzumhur (BIH)
[17] Tommy Robredo (ESP) vs. [9] Richard Gasquet (FRA)
[15] Fabio Fognini (ITA) vs. Sam Querrey (USA)
[19] Kevin Anderson (RSA) vs. Edouard Roger-Vasselin (FRA)
Florian Mayer (GER) vs. [20] Jerzy Janowicz (POL)
Doubles - Second Round
[6] Marcel Granollers (ESP)/Marc Lopez (ESP) vs. Max Mirnyi (BLR)/Mikhail Youzhny (RUS)
Yuki Bhambri (IND)/Michael Venus (NZL) vs. [10] Jean-Julien Rojer (NED)/Horia Tecau (ROU)
[13] Michael Llodra (FRA)/Nicolas Mahut (FRA) vs. Philipp Oswald (AUT)/Simon Stadler (GER)
[14] Lukasz Kubot (POL)/Robert Lindstedt (SWE) vs. Benjamin Mitchell (AUS)/Jordan Thompson (AUS)
Doubles - First Round
[1] Bob Bryan (USA)/Mike Bryan (USA) vs. Paul Hanley (AUS)/Jonathan Marray (GBR)
[3] David Marrero (ESP)/Fernando Verdasco (ESP) vs. James Duckworth (AUS)/Matthew Ebden (AUS)
Chris Guccione (AUS)/Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) vs. [4] Ivan Dodig (CRO)/Marcelo Melo (BRA)
[5] Leander Paes (IND)/Radek Stepanek (CZE) vs. Lukas Dlouhy (CZE)/Lukas Rosol (CZE)
good point lady TT.
I know my own situation on the court when I used to play and compete: you sometimes tend to play as well as you need to and also in accordance with how your opponent is playing.
you are more motivated against more talented players and you tend to play better.
and in this case there is that matter of energy and health conservation also. nadal or anybody else cant really afford an injury or too much expenditure of physical and mental capital this early on in a slam.
For sure, Nadal plays only as much as he needs to, I think. He doesn't chase every ball down unless he's playing someone of high caliber. He seemed to me to be doing just enough and pulling the trigger when the opportunity presented it.
He's playing smart. He knows he'll need more for Monfils and other opponents going forward. Look at how energy efficient he's been so far.
I'm loving it.
good one lady TT. keep them coming.
berdych is shaking and baking. wins 6-4, 6-2, 6-2.
could he be the big story of this first slam of 2014?